Kidnapping Kallus
by Gavroche Gold
Summary: Needing some alone time, Kanan and Hera send the kids out on a "special mission." The ill-defined parameters of this mission lead to unforeseen consequences.


Kanan set a stack of plates on the table and handed Hera another cup of caf. "Breakfast is almost ready," he told her, taking a peek over her shoulder.

Hera hmmed a reply without glancing up from her holopad. She scrolled through the data, eyebrows drawn together with concentration.

Kanan shrugged and walked back into the kitchen, coming out with an overflowing tray of food. "And, voilà!" He set it on the table in front of her, pushing back the few waffles that threatened to slide off with the Force. Hera still didn't look up. "Hello?" Kanan waved his hand in front of her eyes. "You in there?"

Her lekku relaxed slightly, and Hera let out a sigh. "I'm sorry, luv. We're low on supplies, and I'm trying to find us a place to hit the Empire. But there aren't any shipments coming in. No weapons, no fuel. A few food shipments, but not enough to merit a raid."

Kanan considered this for a moment. "I'm sure that till something comes up, we'll figure it out." He glanced around the empty table. "Where is everybody?" Cupping a hand to his mouth, he shouted "Hey, anyone up?"

A series of grunts came from around the corner, then Chopper wheeled in.

"Well, nice to see one crew member decided to join us for breakfast," Kanan said.

With a groan, Zeb rounded the corner as well. "That bucket of bolts doesn't even eat anything." His ears perked up as he surveyed the table. "Waffles?"

Kanan put his hands on his hips. "Where are Ezra and Sabine?"

"Still in bed, I'd imagine." Zeb sat down next to Hera, giving Chopper a kick on his way past.

Kanan and Hera exchanged a look. "Zeb, will you please bring them to the table?" Hera asked.

Zeb cast a longing glance at the waffles, his ears flattening against his head. After a moment he growled. "Ah, fine." He stalked out of the room.

A pair of large, purple ears appeared next to the bed. Zeb chucked. "Ezra, hey, Ezra!" He poked Ezra with a finger, ignoring the blue-haired boy's groans.

"Zeb? Lemme sleep, willya?" Ezra muttered, curling into a tighter ball and pulling his pillow over his ears.

Zeb grinned a fanged grin. The sooner he got this over with, the sooner he got waffles, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy some Hera-approved hazing. "You don't get up quick and Chopper is gonna eat all yer breakfast."

"What?!" Ezra sat bolt upright, leapt over Zeb and raced out of the room. "Chopper!"

Zeb chuckled as he watched him run. "One down, one to go."

"Psst, Sabine!"

Sabine rolled over, mumbling in her sleep.

Zeb rolled his eyes. "Sabine, it's breakfast."

Sabine muttered something about breaking _his_ fast, but otherwise didn't stir.

"You don't get up and Chopper will eat all yer food," Zeb threatened.

"What?!" Sabine pushed herself into a sitting position, then blinked. "Wait…"

Zeb was already on his way out of the room. "Come on," he called over his shoulder. "Kanan and Hera are waiting."

Hera massaged her temple. With the arrival of her children, any hope of concentrating on finding a new assignment was long gone. As Zeb and Ezra argued, with an occasional interjection from Sabine, the room got louder and louder. Kanan glanced at Hera, eyebrows shooting up, teal eyes questioning. Hera's lekku twitched. Kanan's jaw set, and he stood up.

"That's enough." He held up a hand, forestalling Ezra's protests. "You guys all have some energy to burn off, and I've got a way to do it."

The kids' faces filled with dread. Hera glanced at Kanan in concern. If he tried to assign chores with them in this kind of mood there might be a riot.

"We've just gotten word of a new shipment in the city. One that could be _very_ important to our cause. You three are going to go pick it up," Kanan ordered

Hera blinked. There hadn't been an important shipment for weeks, and Kanan knew it.

The kids exchanged glances. Finally, Ezra took a step forward, his head cocked, face matching the seriousness of Kanan's tone. "What does this shipment look like?"

"You'll know it when you see it." Kanan turned to the monitor. "I'll give you kids coordinates for the warehouse it's kept in. I want you to go right away."

Sabine shot him a glance as she stepped forward and read of the coordinates, then the three kids filed out of the room.

Hera cocked an eyebrow at Kanan. "Important shipment?"

"I actually borrowed one of your old ideas." Kanan watched them leave. "You wanted them out of the Ghost, so I sent them on another Meiloorun chase."

"The warehouse?"

"Small-scale Imperial. Not enough guards to give them trouble. I figure they'll break in, take whatever looks important, and leave. That should buy you enough time to wind down."

Hera exhaled. "Thanks, luv." She picked her holopad back up. "Now, to find us a real shipment."

"I don't like this," Zeb stated again, leaning against the wall outside the warehouse.

"Relax," Ezra pulled the cover off the ventilation shaft. "This is the easiest way into the warehouse. I'll do a little recon, find out what this important shipment is, then radio you if I need any help."

"But Ezra—" Sabine started.

"As soon as I need help," Ezra promised, swinging his feet into the vent. "Come on, it'll be quieter with just me." He could hear her sigh as he crawled farther into the shaft.

His breathing echoed down the shaft as he shuffled along on his hands and knees. Before long he could hear a voice on the other end.

"…to be sure that you are not mistaken." The deep, clipped tones were more than familiar. Ezra drew in a breath and flattened himself against the side of the shaft. Agent Kallus. "I will therefore oversee the operation myself."

For a moment, Ezra considered bailing. Anything important enough to merit Agent Kallus' attention was big. Too big for just him to handle. He should call Sabine and Zeb, maybe even bring in Kanan. Ezra closed his eyes. Kanan had trusted them with this mission, and said it was very important to the cause. It was so important, they hadn't even gotten to finish breakfast. They had to do this. He drew on the Force to calm his nerves, and inched further along the shaft until he could see into the warehouse through the grate.

Kallus stood, bareheaded, in the center of the warehouse, a commlink in his hands. A few empty crates stood to one side, their lids propped up against them. Ezra's eyebrows drew together as he scanned the rest of the warehouse. Nothing. No important shipments, no weapons, no fuel… Kallus must have caught on and moved it, then waited here as a trap. Whatever the mystery shipment was, it was long gone. The only thing in the warehouse was… Kallus.

Ezra stared at the imperial agent, Kanan's words rushing back to his mind. Could be very important to the cause. You'll know it when you see it. The only thing he saw was Agent Kallus. But, Kanan couldn't expect them to kidnap Agent Kallus and bring him back to the Ghost… could he?

Sensing Ezra's familiar presence, Kanan glanced out the viewport as he set lunch on the table. "Kids are back," he commented.

"Oh, good." Hera stood up, smiling. "We'd better see what important shipment they brought us, then get them prepped for the real mission."

"Mm-hmm."

Kanan watched as the three kids boarded. Ezra pushed a large crate in front of him, a proud, satisfied grin on his face. Sabine followed, arms folded across her chest, mouth an uncertain line. Zeb glowered at the ground, his grip tight on the bo-rifle in his hands.

"Welcome back," Kanan said as they filed in. "I see your mission was successful." Zeb's eyes narrowed, lip curling back to reveal a few fangs.

"Yep." Ezra parked the crate in front of them and dusted off his hands. "One important shipment."

Hera and Kanan exchanged glances, then Hera stepped forward and took the lid off the crate. She jumped back, blaster drawn, eyes wide. "Ezra…"

Oh boy. Kanan stepped forward, hand on his lightsaber, and surveyed the contents of the crate.

His jaw dropped. Unconscious, wrists in a pair of binders, hunched Agent Kallus.


End file.
